How BioWare Helped A Couple Get Engaged

Developers at Mass Effect studio BioWare recently helped two longtime fans of the game get engaged in quite a unique way.

BioWare writes on its blog that someone named Jackie wrote to BioWare Montreal asking for help in proposing to her partner, Amy. Both are big fans of Mass Effect, and the studio was eager to help Jackie create a special in-game moment for their engagement.

Studio manager Marie-Renee Brisebois put together a team composed of a writer, lead level designer, and QA analyst, all of whom worked overtime to create a special Mass Effect level for the proposal.

"They wanted to ensure the level was peppered with references to the couple's relationship so far, but they also didn't want to give anything away before the big reveal," BioWare says. "They also didn't want Amy to die and have to start over, so [lead level designer Colin Campbell] made sure there were safety nets in place that would ensure she got to the end on her first try."

The team was able to get the level up and running in Frostbite 3, so all that was left to do was to find a way to get Amy to come to the studio to play it. BioWare pulled this off by telling Amy and Jackie (who was in on it, of course) that they had won a fake contest called "A Day with Our Devs."

"It was a beautiful sight to see. No matter how grumpy you are, when you see a thing like that you can't help but smile and maybe even tear up a bit" -- Marie-Renee Brisebois

Jackie and Amy then took a trip to BioWare Montreal. Amy got to play the upcoming Mass Effect game, thinking she was participating in a consumer feedback test, but really it was much more.

Here's how the rest unfolded:

"After loading up the level, Jackie was prompted by a mission briefing, stating that a drone manufacturing lab had stopped sending reports and asking her to investigate. As she played through the level, Jackie uncovered more and more reports that contained subtle references to her relationship with Amy."

"Once she reached the end of the level, Amy walked into a room with a lone console in the center that had her and Jackie's names for one another spray-painted on the wall in 50-foot high graffiti. When she clicked on the console, a message popped up: 'Dear Amy, Jackie would like to ask you something."

As you can see in the image above, Jackie then got down on one knee, pulled out a ring, and proposed. All the work paid off, as Amy said yes.

"When she got to that room, everyone around was riveted and hoping she'd say yes," Marie-Renee said. "It was a beautiful sight to see. No matter how grumpy you are, when you see a thing like that you can't help but smile and maybe even tear up a bit."

This is not the first Mass Effect-related love story BioWare has told this year. On Valentine's Day in February, BioWare revealed how two gamers whose surprise meeting one day in Mass Effect 3 multiplayer led to a real-world relationship and eventually marriage.